Hello, 30 year old fit and healthy male - I have always suffered with ectopics and two years ago had an atrial fibrillation episode which would not correct with medication and was cardio-verted. No full blown afib episodes since, however do have some bad days with ectopics now and then.
Last week I seemed to get a mild cold (chills, blocked nose, feeling generally unwell), and with it came a flare up of ectopics (probably about 50 in a day). I still feel a bit unwell even over a week later, and the ectopics, although decreased, are still happening (about 15 yesterday).
I have been unwell a few times since my afib episode, even with COVID last year, and not had this issue, is this a common reaction to having a mild virus?? I have spoken to my GP who thinks there's a connection, but you know us anxious heart types continue to seek reassurance even after a doctor's opinion. Any other experiences of this from anyone??
Sadly doctor Google told me I have viral myocarditis, no chest pain though??
Many thanks!
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Tomgunn
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Morning. First of all wouldn't recommend Dr. Google he always gives the worst diagnosis. The Dr. at my local hospital said ectopics are nothing to worry about - although to us they can be scary. I get them when I am anxious, and you sound as if you are anxious and worried. AF goes hand in hand with anxiety. You sound as if it is just a cold (I am not a Dr.) and when us hearties get an infection it can trigger AF. If you don't have a high fever, chest pain, breathless, high numbers BP etc. etc. then you should be ok. Just take it easy and rest until you are feeling better. Plenty of fluids and paracetamol. If you get any worse then get medical attention. Try not to worry - easier said than done I know. I get lots of colds since I have been diagnosed with AF three years ago. All the best ande hope you feel better soon.
Thanks so much for the reply I really do appreciate it. Stupid of me to consult Dr Google I know, but can't help it sometimes! Was just concerned as it's the longest bout I've had since my afib episode and the virus seemed to be so mild. Will be taking it easy until they hopefully die down again and the virus passes. Many thanks again.
The reality is the everybody has ectopics up to 200 a day even "normal " peple who have never had AF. The problem is we notice and this is bad. Stay well hydrated and busy.
For sure it is common for ME to get arrythmias - ectopics, tachycardia and AF and few others whenever I have any sort of infection, mild or otherwise and my heart is still ‘sensitive’ after having COVID, quite severely for some weeks so I’m having to be very kind to myself.
I also find that stress, eating badly, overtiring myself, reacting to some medications and host of other stuff can trigger them so who knows? I gave up guessing what caused it, accept it and accept the need and to really look after myself whenever I feel like that - eat and sleep well, manage my stress and rest loads.
I do wonder if COVID has had some effect, who knows. Thank you for sharing your experience and advice, it certainly is reassuring to know I'm not the only one. I'll be taking it easy physically and mentally for a good while
You might have a point re effects of COVID - we're still only finding out what it does to us longer term. CDreamer gives good advice. Look after yourself.
What a life we lead, eh? I've been reading around this as my son had his jabs a while back and a friend's young daughter had hers last week and felt a touch unwell. I gather that areas of the heart can become inflamed with many viruses but that such as occurrence is usually transient and largely missed, with the vast majority of people recovering completely and being left none the wiser. From my own research, no one seemed to know about the long-term effects of such a mild and transient form of inflammation.
I suspect a cardiologist would say that your 50-odd ectopic bests a day were benign and of no consequence either to your heart, health or future. People certainly seem to become more sensitive to them once they look out for them - that was my case, anyway, Like you, I've had them since I was a young man.
And yet, ectopic beats can start in the left atrium, near to the pulmonary veins, which is the exact place where fibrillation arises. Are the two connected? Opinion seems divided but it seems likely,
Thanks for the reply, it certainly is a frustrating old time having such a worrisome heart. I definitely think the ectopics and AF are related too. Hope you keep well my friend.
Hi TomI gather that full blown Covid can trigger ectopics and Afib, so perhaps it is reasonable to assume that other viral infections can do this too.
I know I hd a short run of ectopics after my second AZ jab, which quickly settled. Since the jab simulates a Covid infection I can only assume that is what would happen to me if I caught this wretched virus.
Sorry to hear covid had such a horrid effect on you. It seems my heart is just sensitive to pretty much anything, caffeine, alcohol, tiredness, illness etc etc etc. I hope you manage to avoid the virus and stay well. All the best.
Hi Tomi yes ectopics can be triggered by a virus I used to have up to 20,000 a day and felt every one! flecainide now keeps it under control unless I have a virus, thats why the EP told me I had to take the vaccine as I would have been severely ill had I contracted covid! Hope they settle soon.
Good grief 20,000!? I can only imagine the hell of it as it's intolerable enough as it is. I hope you stay well, all the best and thank you for the reply.
Hello there! I had Covid back in March 2020 and my ectopics increased a lot. I also had small FA episodes while I was ill. I was doing great since my ablation on November 2018 but Covid knocked me down.
Yes any viral illness can potentially cause ectopic heartbeats but they should settle once you are over the illness however this can take time and just because one illness sets them off it doesn’t mean another one will.l don’t usually get ectopics with viral illness although l do have a tendency but l did following my first vaccine . They took an age to settle.The cardiologist confirmed that this was not unusual but that they would eventually settle ,which they did.He did say that they can be a bit like a spark plug firing and once they get going they can be hard to stop.l took betablockers but mainly, l feel ,to keep me calm!l know it’s not easy but try to accept them with out thinking about them too much.l found it was the hope that they had gone away each day only to be-gutted when they hadn’t which was the hardest.Once l just accepted l had them for the long haul it was a lot easier.And you know this,don’t goggle if you want to stay sane!
This definitely struck a chord with me, my experience seems very similar, they seem to be a bit better and then bang they come back out of nowhere. They have settled down a bit since yesterday, perhaps helped by the fact I have had so many reassuring messages on here and not being so scared about them! The link between them and my mind is stronger than I sometimes realise, once the heart kicks off the mind follows and it's a downward spiral from there. And I am banning myself from Google I think! Thank you again you have made me feel much better. Take care
I know how you feel. Last week I had several days of noticeable ectopics. It can cause me to stress which leads to more. I put mine down to the Pfizer booster which I had a few days before and unlike the AZ jabs did make me feel rough 24 hours after having it. I had my last Cardioversion in October so was worried I was going to go back into AF. Thankfully all has settled down again. I do normally have the odd noticeable ectopic beat but the trouble is when you have a clear run which doesn’t feel normal we are so more attuned to our heart beats it can lead to stress that AF is coming back when it actually isn’t.
Yes this exactly describes me, it's scary how similar it is, although strangely I had AZ for the first two jabs and felt very rough, but the pfeizer for the booster and felt less so. There is definitely a viscous circle effect for me with the ectopics and my panicked mind feeding off each other, and I am constantly terrified that I will suddenly burst into AF at any moment. These replies to my post have certainly helped to break the cycle, so thank you so much. I hope you stay well, take care
Thanks for the reply, very interesting as I am on propranolol and my heart rate goes very low (mid 40s) at some points. I will discuss this with my doctor. All the best to you
Yes my low pulse caused ectopic beats, I wore a monitor for a week, he cardiologist said no significant sign of AF, after one week on 1.25 ectopic beats gone, good luck
I would talk to an experienced Alternative Practitioner e.g. a Naturopath about taking an anti-inflammatory supplement and check any suggestion with your GP just in case ; don't be put off by raised eyebrows, quite common among medics living in their own silos.
Tomgunn, I get ectopics when I get a stuffed nose -- either from a cold (and having Covid too) or allergies from my cats during shedding season. They have never led to an a-fib episode, but I always felt that they might, as you do.
Thanks Snowgirl65, such a terrifying prospect isn't it! Don't think I'll ever not have that fear when the ectopics kick off. Hopefully we can learn to cope with that!
I get palpitations (are these ectopic beats?) after eating certain foods … overly spicy … foods not made at home … anything containing preservatives and additives. Always in the evenings … rarely during the day … if l have them in the evenings, sometimes the following morning as well. Probiotics help. However, l MUST watch my diet very carefully and you should as well. Alcohol is unfortunately a big no-no. Best, Jan
Thanks Jan, I also notice them after large meals, especially when eating out for some reason so there is definitely a link with food. I think being overly full puts pressure on the vagus nerve which can increase ectopics (palpitations), and being bloated can do the same (burping often helps with my ectopics). It's an odd thing, the human body!
I didn’t want to mention burping but yes … that helps ALOT! Also, l have a short waistline … but tall … so pressure easily builds in my tummy area and creates pressure on the upper chest … that bloated overly full feeling is definitely a factor. So we must be very careful with the quantity and quality of what we put into our complicated human body!!! Thanks for bringing up this topic … the answers were very helpful. Best, Jan
I also start feeling a lot of Ectopics when I get a cold or flu. Unfortunately this can set off my AFib. I try to avoid getting sick because of this.. but I guess no one tries to get sick.Hope you’re feeling better soon. Your Ectopics should decrease. You are really young to have Afib. What set off the first episode.. or do you know?
Thanks Chrissy7, I think my first episode may have been a combination of drinking alcohol (not excessively but consistently) for a couple of weeks over Christmas, and potentially fluoxetine medication as I'm aware irregular heartbeats can be a side effect of them, which I imagine is more so the case for people like us with sensitive hearts. Hope your AF stays away in the future, take care
I've always been told not to worry about ectopcis, although they can be pretty unpleasant and worrying if they come one after the other. But, as for the effect of infections on Af, I once caught Lyme Disease. My heart went haywire and AF was being triggered by all manner of 'minor' triggers, even such as having a pee. Antibiotics soon cleared up the Lyme and the AF reverted back to only being triggered by 'major' provocations. Incidentally, my wife (who doesn't suffer from AF, fortunately) also caught Lyme Disease; in her, the result was repeated ectopic beats, that never progressed to anything more serious. They disappeared after she, too, was treated with antibiotics.
Thanks Kent2007 this is really interesting, especially so as your wife who does not have AF experienced ectopics. If people with "normal" hearts get them, then what hope have we afibbers! Also interestingly I have noticed recently the correlation with ectopics and runs of ectopics with having a pee. I thought it was a complete coincidence until you mentioned it, maybe there is some deeper meaning behind it
Hi I too am getting these. Normally though I can link them to a virus. If it is a virus then after around six to eight weeks they seem to subside or I dont notice them because they are happening rarely. At the moment it is like it once every eight to nine beats. I had an ablation fifteen years ago which was successful. I have had two episodes of AF which I know was caused through a large alcohol intake so I don't do that too often. Another came after what I thought was covid 18 months ago (before we could get tested). I too am now getting very anxious with all of this which I think is making me worse, I hope there is someone out there with a remedy.
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